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One area of literature I tend to neglect in my reading is children's literature. Unfortunately this means I miss a lot of good books but since the one I do read comes highly recommended I read some great kid-lit. Among that great kid-lit are some true gems, books that are so charming you want to tell everyone about them. The Mysterious Benedict Society, written by Trenton Lee Stewart and illustrated by Carson Ellis is one such book.
Reynie Muldoon is an uncommonly bright child. He also a lonely child because he's an orphan and the other children in the orphanage don't like him very much. One day he sees an advertisement appears in the newspaper calling out to gifted children who are looking for special opportunities. Reynie happens to be such a child. He found it to be an odd test, followed by other odd tests. Along the way through the tests he meets three other bright children. Sticky Washington has a brain we could all envy - he reads and memorizes everything at sight. Kate Wetherall is a bit like a child-sized version of James Bond but rather than a car and toys she has her trusty bucket with rope, a magnet and many other simple items that she puts to brilliant use. And then there is Constance Contraire and contrary she is! Constance is a teeny stubborn girl who makes up clever rhymes to amuse herself. They are four very different and very special children.
The man behind the tests is Mr. Benedict and his trusty sidekicks No. 2, Rhonda and Milligan. He's tested the children and then brought them together to help him on a very important mission - to save the world! The world is quite simply all messed up and Mr. Benedict wants to set it to rights but in order to do this he needs children. Mr. Benedict believes that the source of the world's woes are originating from a private children's school for very bright children. Since he's not sure how the school is managing to do this so he needs gifted and brave children to go to the school and be spies for him. After decided to accept this mission the four children brand themselves The Mysterious Benedict Society and head off on an adventure.
The novel is charming, smart, engaging and addictive - all the things that you wish for in a novel. The reader is encouraged to figure out the tests, clues and missions along with the children in the book. It teaches lessons of love, friendship, bravery and teamwork. Targeted for ages 9-12, younger children could enjoy it as a read-aloud with some help from older children and parents or teachers (there is some advanced vocabulary like "narcolepsy"). The first few chapters are a bit long but have appropriate cliff-hanging endings that will have children begging to be read just one more chapter. All in all, it's quite simply fantastic. But don't take my word for it.
The Brookline Blogsmith has some love to share for this novel.
I loved trying to solve the puzzles and challenges presented to the children as they took their qualifying exams and then moved on to their mission—saving the world from the evil Mr. Curtain! This is a true treat of a novel that is equally fun for both kids and adults.
Rather than read it aloud, So Much Love In This House listened to it on audio with her two preschoolers.
The Mysterious Benedict Society gets a lot of references to Harry Potter. Not because it's like Harry Potter really, although there are some thematic similarities, but the experience of reading it is reminiscent of the first time many of us picked up a Harry Potter book. Blogging For A Good Book has been lamenting the loss of any new Harry Potter books but The Mysterious Benedict Society helped them see that there is indeed reading after Harry.
There are no pointy hats or magic wands here, and certainly no Hogwarts. But there is a sense of delight similar to the early Potters. And once again, a group of bright, enterprising kids become friends while skulking around, dashing from enemies, puzzling over mysteries and, I almost forgot, saving the world.
The Mysterious Benedict Society was also well received at Semicolon .
Other themes in the books
